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Windows 11 Activation Issue

Shailin Khdr 0 Reputation points
2025-12-13T16:54:05.3666667+00:00

Hello. I am not really clear on the details of what happened anymore because I have been trying to get help from Microsoft support for weeks now to no avail, but what I do know is that I have a watermark on my screen telling me to activate my Windows ever since I installed some updates (don't remember what they were). At first, I was getting the error code for my product key not being found, and now I am getting the error code 0x800704CF (not sure what that means). Also, my settings were telling me that I have Windows 11 Pro, but I am supposed to have Windows 11 Home. I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Licensing and activation
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  3. Hendrix-V 6,940 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-14T06:58:59.71+00:00

    Hi Shailin Khdr,

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum. I’m really sorry you’ve been dealing with this for so long, activation issues can be confusing and stressful, especially when you’re getting mixed messages from Windows.

    Microsoft explains that error 0x800704CF appears when Windows can’t find a valid license for the edition that’s installed. If your digital license is for Windows 11 Home, but your computer currently has Windows 11 Pro, Windows won’t activate - even if your license is fully valid.

    If your PC truly has Windows 11 Pro installed but should have Windows 11 Home, the official fix is:

    I look forward to receiving your update. Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have additional questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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